Stephen Colbert Gets Upstaged By James Joyce's Fictional Hero

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Stephen Colbert may have dazzled the crowd in his role as Odysseus during the annual Bloomsday on Broadway stage show at Symphony Space theater in Manhattan last night -- but there was only one star of the show: Leopold Bloom.

Fans of literary legend James Joyce gathered to fete the title character of his classic work "Ulysses" during the 29th annual performance that featured selection readings in celebration of the author and his fictional hero. This year, the theme focused on the parallels between the Joyce's work and Homer's "The Odyssey."

"Here Cyclops!" thundered Colbert with his signature overdramatic delivery, adding humor to a particularly violent scene in the story. "Try this wine!"

Though Colbert didn't disappoint with his performance, it was clear he was not the only draw. Bloom enthusiasts seemed to vastly outnumber fans of the "The Colbert Report" host last night.

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"He's a wonderful character," gushed Reed Perron of Bloom, admitting he had never heard of Colbert before last night. "You feel yourself in him."

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Colbert, who was the only one on stage, gave Sheffer a classic quizzical look as if to question the legitimacy of his newly minted status as an actor. It was an exchange so perfect it may have been pre-arranged. And although Colbert's diehard fans were few and far between last night, it's safe to say he made a few new ones.